Electrical switch mechanism



Oct. 11, 1932. A. H. NEUREUTHER ELECTRICAL SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Sept. 22. 1927 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Get. 11, 1932 ANDREW-H. nnunnurnnn, F

coMPANY, or RU, ILLINOIS PERU; ILLINoIs, nssrenon To wnsrnnn CLOCK A CORPORATION or rumors Application filed September My invention. relates to improvements in electrical driving mechanisms for clocks and the like and has for its object the production of a device inwhich the contacts are closed and opened extremely rapidly'or with the socalled snapaction. A further object is the production of a wiping action when! said contacting points are touching each other.

Afurtherobject is the creation of anactnal' increased pressure on said contacting polnt immediately after the initial closing of the] circuit takes place,; so that the wiping action takes place under, the increased pressure placed on the contacting parts thus tendingto scrape the contact parts rather. than just wiping them.

for the contacting parts and thereby which together with the simple construction I use. will be very inexpensive to produce and yet be very rigid for service. Where there is a large amount ofvibration and rough usage:

such as an automobile.

I attainthese objectsjby themeansshownf in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a View of one of my driving mechanisms looking at it from the rear and having sufficient of the rear plate removed to show the operative mechanism with the ar-.

mature of the electro-magnet in its highest position and ready to be actuated by the magnet.

contact mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

-, Fig. i is an enlarged view of a modifi-- cation of the tripping contact mechanism in the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. is an enlarged, end vlew of the throughout the several views.

In the drawing 1 represents the front plate of time movement part of an electric clock;

further object is to, enable the use as much as possible of the lower priced metals" 22, 1927. iseriarno. 221,226.

g 2 the. rear plate. ofsame 3 representsthe front-' plate of my. driving. mechanism and 4' the rearmoyement plate-'ofsame. 5 repree sents the pillars or posts by means of which the plates 1 and 2 are held together and .6 the pillar or 4 together. The driving mechanism i sifastened to the clock movement in any of the usual well known means such asaindicatedby; the pillars 7.v V 3. Fastened between the plates 3 and iis an electro-magnet .8 having cores 9. Pivotally: mounted on a pin 11 adjacent to the electromagnet Sis an armature-'10 which has a-narm 12 projecting therefrom whichhas pin 13 fastened to it onwhich is pivotally mounted thepawl lqwhose end 15 engages the teeth 16 of theratchet wheel 17 which-is fastened on a shaft 18 which is j ournaled in the plates: Bandaas shown. 1 r 5'11 The pawl .14; has a hook. 19 to which; is fastened one end of a spring 20 the other endfof. said spring {being 7 fastened; to a threaded bolt 21 which passes through.

an aperture in a part 22* projecting from 2 plate 3 which bolt has the nuts 23 by} means of which the tension on the spring -.20. is adjusted and regulated, A pawl 24 pivoted ona pin 25 and heldinengagement with; the teeth .16 of ratchet wheel 17-by it". meansv of a spring. '26 prevents the ratchetwheel 17 from turning ina clock wise-direcs tion. It is evident that the spring 20 will Fig. 2 is a similar view of my driving.

mechanism showing the armature of the electro-magnet at its lowest position afterit has; been actuated by the electro-magnet. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the trippingpull thepawl 14 against the teeth 16- of gear 17 v androtate it in a connter clockwise direction, and this will occur each time the armature 10 is drawn against the core!) of the electro-magnet 8. I I The forward end of the-armature 10 has a contacting plate 34'mounted on the lower i part-of samebut electrically insulated there'- from by means of the insulation 35 shown andsaid contacting part 34 is electrically connected with one endof the wiring wind; 9 ing on electro magnet 8 by means of the flex-1 ible wire 42 theother end of the wire winding ondelectromagnet 8 being connected by means" ofthewire 37-]toajconnecting post 3 8 which is also insulatelyr'nounted .on the it posts that-holds the plates 3 and;

frame or plates as shown andpis connected to one line from the source of electrical current. The other line from the source of electrical current is connected to a binding or connecting post 43 mounted directly (grounded) on'the frame so that any part not electrically insulated from the frame coming in contact with the contacting part 34 will causethe electrical current to flow through the electro-magnet 8Y'andenergize same. I

Mounted between plates 3 and 4 adjacent to the forward end of the armature 10 1s a j frame 27 which has projecting parts 28 each having an aperture into which are fastened the-shoulderpins 29; Pivotally mounted on saidpins 29 is the framed'member shown which isbuilt up of the side U-shaped frames 30 and the shafts 3 1 and 32, the shaft '31 having agroll 33 journaled'on the same and the shaft 32 having a contacting roll '36 journaled on same. a A pin 39 passes through the members 30 and has one end ofa spring con nected to same, the other endof said spring 40 is connected through an aperture in a pro-' jection 41- from frame'27; The pins 39 and 29 and the projection 41fareso' located that they all liein'a straight line when said U-shaped frame 30 is located in its central position and the tension or pull on the spring isf'such'that as soon'as the straight line joiningthe points 39 and the proj ection 41 passes to; the right or left of the point 29,th'at the spring l 40 will trip theframe 30 to the corresponding side. For instance, when the armature is in the position shown in Figure v2 with the roller 33 touching the top of the end of armature 10, the spring "40 is}, over" towardthe right side beyond said point 29 andas the right hand-end of-armature l0 rises' due to the pull of the power spring 20 the frame 30 starts to rotate'around pin 29 in aclock-wise direction and will doso under the influence of the armature lO until the straight line from point 39 to 4labove mentioned passes tothe-leftof point 29 when the frame 30 will immediately be snapped in a clockwise rotation until the roller 36 strikes the contacting part 34 on the armature 10' as shown in Figure 1 thus closing the electrical circuit through the wire windingin the electromagnet '8 and energizing said magnet which instantly and extremely rapidly drawsthe'armature 10 down toward the pole pieces 9. It isjevident as the armature 10'comes' down as above stated that a great'pr'essure is exerted at the point where the surface con-' tactingroll 36 comes into engagement with the contacting part andthe surface roller 36.thus rolls over the contactingpart34 thus insuring and maintainingfan excellent electrical' connection between the contacting roller and the contactingpartl which will con- 7 time until the pivoted frame'30 is returned or snapp back t P i Show in Figure 2, breaking the electrical contact and de-energizing the electro-magnet 8 putting the armature 10 again under the control of the stored power spring 20.

1 It is also evident that the roll 36 win continually, because of it being pivotally mountlyinsulated from the plates'in which case" the contacting part 34 would-not need be in-' rsulated from the armature IOJbutcould-be 'a part of the grounded circuit, the wire -42 insuch case beingiattached to the insulatedfra-me 27;--.i- I Fromthe above descrip'tionitwill be seen that my electric driving mechanism is simple (and inexpensive to produce and yet-'is ex-- tremely rugged and durable in construction to withstand-the severest serviceand the nature of the making and breaking of'the' electrical cir'cuits'is such that the contacts can, be made of the ordinary-inexpensive metals instead of from'the noble metalsand yet avoidsticking and burning "of the contact'parts thus givingalong and-satisfactory service andcontinuous operation- [before replacement is necessaryj It-will be understood; of course, that while I-havehere shownand described one form of my .invention,:I" do not wish to limit myself to the exact form shown; but" desire to have it taken in'a'sense-illustrati-ve of-any or all the forms thatcome-fairly within the scope of my claims. 5 v

" 1 claim:' 1 1 H 1. In combination,{

on said element and insulated therefrom, a frame adjacent to said element, a co-operating contacting member comprising two'pro jecting parts adjacent thereto and positioned one on each" side; of 'sai'd element said inemher: being mounted in said frame b'y- Ineans' of 'a pivot in a position substantially away apivotally mounted actuat ng element; a -contacting part mounted from the center ofsaid member and resilient means so mounted andi'attached to said frame" and said'contacting member such that said resilient means "will; continue the motion of and position said member when same has been moved "beyond'its centrally disposed position by "means of said actuating element.

2i In combination, a pivotally m'o'unted actuating element, a contacting'part mounted on'said' element'andfinsulatedtherefrorrn a. 7

frame adjacent to' said element, a co operate ing contacting" member comprising two proj e'cti'ng parts adjacent thereto and positioned I one on each side of said element, contacting means pivotally mounted on each of said pro jecting parts, said member being mounted in said frame by means of a pivot in a position Substantially away from the center of said member and resilient means so mounted and attached to said frame and said contacting member such that said resilient means will continue the motion of and position said memher when same'hasbeen moved beyond its centrally disposed position by means of said actuating element.

ANDREW H. NEUREUTHER. 

